A group of researchers from the Department of Strength and Design of the Faculty of Physics and Engineering together with colleagues from ISPMS SB RAS (Institute of Strength Physics and Materials Science of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences) have developed a technology to produce nanoceramics with a coefficient of thermal expansion close to zero. This ceramic composite material having a high resistance to wear will be used for the manufacture of a new class of locking elements for oil and gas pipelines.

The composition of the material, which has no analogs in Russia and abroad, includes tungstate of zirconium. Specifically, it provides nanoceramics the invar effect - constant size in the heating and cooling in a sufficiently wide temperature range from -100 to +200 ° C, and also provides such features as effective operability in extreme conditions, high structural strength, and light weight.

- The invar effect reduces the friction of isolation valves to almost zero, whereby its service life increases significantly, - says Professor Sergey Kulkov, the head of the research group. – That in turn reduces the volume and frequency of costly repairs to gas and oil pipelines.

According to the scientist, the main problem is that zirconium tungstate is very difficult to enter into the ceramic. Previously, no one in the world had ever done it, but in the course of the research, the inventors found a technical solution to the problem and determined the optimal content of zirconium tungstate in the composition of the ceramic and an effective method of sintering. The development received two patents of the Russian Federation.

Engineering solutions developed by scientists of TSU can be unified in the various areas of technology and focused on the use of a domestic resources base, which will be a significant alternative to imported high technology ceramic products companies - exporters such as CeramTec (USA), Morgan (England), and SwereaIVF (Sweden).